


No One Has To Know What We Do

by vuccijl



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: AU, Cheating Dean, F/M, I admit I skimped on the porn, I used parts of canon from all seasons, Ok sort of porn, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, The Paper Porcupine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:09:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26466205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vuccijl/pseuds/vuccijl
Summary: During the same weekend that Beth finds out Dean is cheating on her, she meets Rio. While she should be terrified of him, mostly she's intrigued.
Relationships: Beth Boland/Rio
Comments: 62
Kudos: 265





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a one shot but...now it's a two shot (I think...) because it was taking way too long and I thought this might motivate me to finish!

She’s midway through a Brazilian wax the first time it hits Beth that her husband might be cheating on her.

She’s not sure why it hits her as the esthetician is spreading wax onto her private parts. Maybe it’s because she has four children under eleven and so she rarely has time to think about brushing her teeth let alone what her husband is doing when he’s not with her.

Maybe it’s the way the woman waxing her can’t stop throwing judgey eyes her way. She gets it - she’s let things go a bit, but it’s hard to care when the only action happening down there is reliant on a battery powered vibrator or her hand. 

The revelation hits somewhere between mentally listing the groceries she needs to pick up, wondering when she’ll find the time to sew Emma and Jane’s dance recital costumes, and the yelp that accompanies the first, painful rip.

Dean has worked late _three_ times this week and he’s missed dinner more times than not the entire _month_. His excuse had been Ed’s twins being born and having to pick up the slack at the dealership but Dean is the _boss_. And Dean has several single, childless employees that would be more than willing to take the overtime and -

_Shit._

It‘s like a ton of bricks straight to the chest.

Her husband is cheating on her.

So instead of heading to the market to get what she needs for a dinner that her children won’t appreciate and her husband won’t be around for she goes directly home.

She’s a woman on a mission.

Beth still has hours before the kids are due home. Summer break had started last week and her mother-in-law all but insisted she take the kids for the day. The free time leaves Beth the opportunity she needs to investigate.

Because suspicion alone isn’t enough to go on.

So here she sits in her husband’s office, at his desk, in his chair. A room she never goes in, a chair she never sits at, a desk she’s never looked through.

She opens drawer after drawer, rifles through paper after paper - but there’s nothing.

Until there is.

Last month’s credit card bill and a three hundred dollar charge at Victoria’s Secret which adds to her suspicions but doesn’t _confirm_ anything. 

Beth knows Dean has never gifted her new lingerie in their entire relationship and she has a sneaking suspicion it isn’t going to start now, twenty years later in the middle of a rather lengthy dry spell. 

But she needs more.

She hears her phone buzz beside her and she looks at the new message without even picking it up. It’s like she knows who it is, what it will say, before she even reads it.

Because now that she _knows_ it couldn’t be more obvious.

_Hi Bethie. Gonna grab a drink with Louis after work. He just broke up with his girlfriend and he needs someone to talk to._

It‘s so clearly a lie but Dean doesn’t think Beth is smart enough to notice. Or maybe he doesn’t care. Most likely, though, he‘s lazy and stupid and Beth is just getting around to noticing.

Because Louis is gay and Beth is no longer the unassuming housewife Dean thinks she is.

_That’s sweet of you._ Beth types out quickly in response. She’s glad texts don’t pick up on sarcasm and faux sweetness because her words are fake and her tone would give her away in a heartbeat.

Before she can take the time to think things through she’s opening another message and typing out another text and a plan is formulating in her head. 

She thinks soon enough she’ll be mad and sad and a million other emotions but right now she’s just _done_.

\---

“I thought we were having a girl’s night?” Ruby asks, confused, from where she sits in the passenger seat of Beth’s minivan. 

“We are.” Beth answers easily, pulling into a spot just far enough from the entrance of the building in front of them so that she won’t be noticed. 

Beth doesn’t need to look at her friend to know that she’s staring - eyebrow raised in question.

“At Boland Motors?”

Annie’s head pops between them from where she sits in the back.

“Deansie serving alcohol with his cars now?”

Beth rolls her eyes at her sister and shakes her head. Her eyes haven’t left the door - she knows Dean will be closing anytime now. It’s eight o’clock on a Friday night and if she knows anything about her husband it’s that he doesn’t stay open a second later than he needs to when he can avoid it. She doesn’t think he has the business to warrant it anyway.

“Just needed to make a pit stop.” She mumbles and then he appears just like she knew he would. 

She watches Dean lock up and the pit in her stomach grows when she sees the small smile on his face, the way he flips his keys in his hand like he knows he’s about to score. He makes his way to his car - oblivious to who might be watching him.

“What’s going on?” Ruby questions slowly but Beth’s only answer is to put the van in reverse as Dean gets into his own car and pulls out of his parking spot. 

She can feel the suspicious eyes on her from her friend and her sister but she’s less than willing to give answers - hoping they might clue in before long.

Beth watches him make a left out of the parking lot and it’s then that she starts moving - tailing him from far enough behind that he won’t notice.

She had anticipated where he might be going and she breathes a sigh of relief when she realizes she’s right - he isn’t going far. 

Just as quickly as Dean pulls out onto the main road he‘s pulling off, into the parking lot of a bar she knows he frequents with his co-workers after work.

She’s close behind him and snags a spot near the entrance.

Beth has a moment of doubt - maybe he _is_ meeting Louis. Maybe she’s being dramatic and sensitive and too suspicious. Maybe she’s a bored housewife looking for something where there’s nothing -

But then she sees it. Sees her husband get out of his car and make his way towards the entrance. Sees a familiar blonde push off the wall of the restaurant, cutting him off with a hard kiss before he can go inside.

“Oh, _fuck_.” Annie mutters as Beth stares straight ahead at the train wreck she can’t look away from.

And all she can think as she watches Dean throw his arm around the girl is how glad she is that she was right.

\---

Beth can’t decide if it’s a blessing or a curse that her kids are off to a two week summer camp the day after she finds out her husband is cheating on her with his twenty-five year old receptionist. 

She’s on autopilot. For a moment she envisions herself storming into the bar and confronting her husband but she’s numb. She’s used to holding things in, brushing feelings aside and the second she’s allowed to let them out she can’t find the energy to care.

Ruby and Annie try to get something – _anything_ – out of her but she drops them both off with a shake of her head and what she hopes is a convincing smile.

“I’m _fine_.” She insists, over and over again. And she knows they don’t buy it. Knows they can see right through her, knows that they are smarter and more in tune with who she is as a person than maybe she is but all she wants is to be alone.

She heads straight home and fakes her way through thanking her mother in law for watching the kids and getting them home and fed and ready for bed.

Beth’s good at faking more than smiles these days.

She squeezes her kids extra hard and smiles at them as she tucks each one in with a hug and a kiss. They’re reeling with excitement for summer camp – two weeks on their own in the woods where all they’re responsible for is swimming and playing and having fun with other kids their age.

She’s envious of her own children.

And then she distracts herself with making sure they are packed and ready to go. It’s no easy feat preparing to send four kids away from home for half a month and she takes pride in her organizational skills – takes pride in the fact that her children will be the most prepared of all the others.

Maybe she can’t keep her husband satisfied but she sure as hell can give her children everything they need.

After that she crawls into bed and it’s there, where she only has her thoughts to distract her, that she can finally admit that she wishes she could feel more. She wishes she could be angry, wishes she felt the urge to cry. She’d rather be jealous and full of rage than indifferent.

But that’s all that’s left. Because how long has her marriage been failing right before her eyes? Since after Jane was born, she’d guess, and her youngest daughter had just turned six.

And Beth had let it crumble, had been aware of it.

At some point, she may have encouraged it.

So while she’s only just come to know that her husband is an unfaithful asshole – she’s not exactly surprised.

More than anything, she thinks she might be relieved.

An affair gives her a concrete reason to leave. It’s an easy way out. An affair lets her off the hook. She doesn’t have to figure out why or how or when her marriage went wrong. She doesn’t have to examine her part in the failure.

She feels Dean crawl into bed sometime after midnight and she pretends to be asleep – not that it matters either way. She can smell the vodka and perfume on him – how many times, she wonders, had he come to bed smelling the exact same way?

How many times had she ignored it?

\---

Beth gets up before the sun the next morning after a restless night. She lines the kid’s bags near the door and sets out to make them a big, farewell breakfast.

The plan is for the whole family to take the several hour drive to the lake where the summer camp resides and while Beth dreads the return trip with her philandering husband she’s willing to suck it up for the happiness of her children.

It’s close to eight when she hears the kids rustling upstairs and when Dean makes his exit from their bedroom. She sees the door open and has to do a double take when her mind registers her husband’s wardrobe.

“Why are you wearing that?” She asks, referring to his slacks and collared shirt and tie, but she’s pretty sure she already knows the answer.

He looks down and then back up at her, brows creased in confusion.

“You don’t like this tie?” He asks and she feels the heat rush up her chest and across her cheeks. She knows what’s happening, somewhere in the back of her mind saw it coming, but all she can focus on is the overwhelming comfort that comes with the realization that she’s still capable of feeling anger.

“You’re working today?” She asks slowly and quietly, swallowing back the desire to lash out.

If he knew her the way he used to, if he knew her the way he claimed he did, he’d sense the boiling pot about to overflow.

“It’s my Saturday.” Dean answers as if it’s obvious. He moves further into the kitchen in the direction of the coffee pot.

“I asked you last month to switch your Saturday.” She responds, surprised at how calm she’s able to stay when she can feel the hatred churning inside of her.

“You did?” He questions and Beth can tell he’s wracking his brain, attempting to remember. She grimaces as she feels her nails sink into the palm of her hand. She squeezes her fists at her sides and counts to ten in her head.

Just as she’s about to respond, four kids come tumbling down the stairs like a stampede dressed in shorts and t-shirts, anticipation for what’s to come evident. To all but one, at least.

“Summer camp here we come!” Kenny belts out loudly and instead of smiling down at her children, Beth watches the emotions play out over her husband’s face. The grin fades and the light bulb switches on and when he meets her eyes she can see the second that he realizes how royally he’s fucked up.

“Shit.” He mumbles, tugging at the knot of his tie to loosen it as if he suddenly feels strangled. She wonders how he can live with himself. How he can wake up and stride into her kitchen and pretend like he’s done nothing wrong.

She wonders how he lives with the guilt.

“Breakfast is in the dining room.” Beth says to her kids, clapping her hands with faux enthusiasm. “We leave in an hour!”

Eight little feet run out of the kitchen and towards their breakfast and Beth busies herself cleaning up the rest of the dishes. She’s not letting him off the hook, she’s letting it fester. It’s almost humorous to her that she’s in on his little secret but he has no idea, thinks the only thing he’s done to mess up this time is forget about summer camp.

It stays quiet and she laughs on the inside at his complete lack of balls – his complete inability to admit that he’s wrong.

“It’s all they’ve been talking about since school let out.” She finally says keeping her voice level, her eyes on his.

“I know.” He answers but before she can say anything he continues, “works been….”

He trails off and it appears that he’s clever enough to realize that his excuses are a waste. She nods as if she understands but really she just knows that he’s a lying, inconsiderate shell of the man that she married.

“You should have a word with Amber.” Beth starts, and his lowered head darts up to meet her eyes at the mention of his assistant.

“I had asked her to make sure you weren’t scheduled for today.” She finishes and she can visibly see his shoulders sag in relief.

It’s interesting – how much a person notices when they’re actually paying attention.

He nods and turns towards the coffee pot to pour himself a cup.

“I’ll talk to her.” He says, filling up his mug before swinging around to face his wife. “Let me go break the news to the kids.”

Beth watches him go, watches him practically skip out of the room when he thinks he’s escaped her wrath.

“Dean.” She calls after him just as he’s about to enter the dining room.

He stops and turns slowly and she think he’s smart enough to realize that he’s heard something different in her voice. That she’s called him by his name thousands of times but never quite like this.

“Maybe Amber was too busy sleeping with a married man to remember to do her job?” Beth suggests with a small shrug. She’s tempted to turn away and let that settle but she can’t help but watch as he connects the dots.

“Beth,” He starts but she holds up her hands.

“Go let down your children.” She interrupts with a nod of her chin towards the room they’re in. “You’re good at that.”

\---

If there’s one thing Dean can be thankful for it’s the short attention span of kids who are too excited to care about the fact that their dad will not be seeing them off to camp. Beth spends the ride down with her children reminding them that there’s no need to talk so loudly, that they’re all in the same car, but her lecture is given in between smiles and laughter because their excitement is infectious.

She soaks it in, tries to bottle it up, because the reality is they’ll be coming home to their lives forever changed. To a house where both their parents will never live together again.

Beth doesn’t know much but she knows she’s done.

They arrive late morning and she spends hours settling them in. Kenny is the easiest because he’s the oldest and has been doing this the longest. It makes her sad to see how grown up he is now, at eleven he doesn’t need her the way he once did but she’s got three other children to distract her from the way _that_ makes her feel.

Danny is her most sensitive child and so she spends extra time making sure he’s comfortable before she leaves. She attempts to toe the line between overbearing and careless. She knows he’s feeling like he needs to be strong, to be “a boy,” to not show how much he’ll miss his mother but once he meets his counselors and sees a few old friends he’s long over his fears.

Emma and Jane will bunk together which makes Beth feel infinitely better. It’s Jane’s first year at camp, Emma’s second and even though Beth’s girls are strong-willed and independent she’s glad they have each other for support.

Before she knows it she’s making the long drive back home – even if she’s not quite sure what home looks like anymore.

She dodges calls from Ruby and Annie, placating them with texts about being busy with drop off and giving them a brief overview of her confrontation with Dean. She’s not ready to talk to them, she’s not sure what to say. She strongly encouraged Dean _not_ to come home that night and she wonders if he’ll listen. Wonders if she wants him to listen. Wonders if she wants him to beg for forgiveness or go easily.

Wonders is she’ll ever know what she wants or who she is, again.

Her phone buzzes in the cup holder next to her and Beth glances down. She can’t read it all but she sees it’s from Dean. She waits until she pulls up to a red light to open the message and as the words process her throat tightens.

_We need to talk. I’ll be late tonight – doing inventory but let’s talk tomorrow. I love you, Bethie._

She sees red. Because even though Beth doesn’t want to talk – even though there’s nothing he can do or say to change the status of their marriage or the way she feels about him, she can’t fathom how he’s able to lie so easily.

And how he thinks he can get away with it.

Beth’s two miles from the bar she spied Dean at last night and if she’s right, and so far she’s been right about everything, he’ll be there again tonight.

She’s done being meek. She’s done letting him get away with things. She’s done letting him believe he’s in control.

So she accelerates and flings herself out of her van as soon as she gets to the bar. She rushes into the restaurant and surveys the busy interior. It takes a minute before her eyes find what she’s looking for but he’s there where she knew he would be all along.

He’s let her down countless times, but not now.

Dean sits at a booth in the back corner with Amber under his arm. The lights are dim and the music is loud. They’re laughing about something and the rage she’s been feeling since she got his text suddenly deflates as quickly as it appeared.

Because she thinks those emotions she’s finally been waiting to hit just have.

Beth is overcome with a burst of sadness and loss and disappointment. She feels ugly and old and weak. She feels defeated.

She’s been with Dean since high school – she married him in her early twenties and popped out four of his children in six years. She made a choice to be a doting wife and mother and she was happy with it. She liked her life. Maybe she didn’t love Dean the way she once had and maybe she’s never felt as passionately about him as they do in the romance novels she secretly loves to read but she was comfortable, secure, protected.

But all for what?

A sob wracks through her and she has the overwhelming urge to cry. Without a plan or a destination Beth rushes towards the back of the restaurant, around the bar and past the kitchen and bathrooms and out the exit.

She needs _air_.

The door leads her out to the back of the building and into a dark alley lined by two dumpsters. She stops between the two and bends over at the waist. Her hands land onto each of her knees and she just stands there, breathing erratically, pushing back the scream that threatens to escape. Holding back the tears that are so close to falling.

She’s mad at herself for coming here, for no good reason but to torture herself. She’s mad at herself for being smart enough to know that confronting Dean in public and humiliating Amber in front of a crowd won’t make her feel better.

She thinks she hates Dean more for this than for the actual cheating. She hates him for not caring. For not feeling guilty. For listening to Beth when she said not to come home tonight. For spending time with his girlfriend instead. For not fighting for their marriage. For her.

The sound of voices has her lifting her head. Just ahead of her is a back parking lot where she assumes employees park and deliveries are made. It’s eerie and secluded and she’s suddenly alarmed by how dark and quiet it is.

She takes a few steps forward and holds her breath as she does so. She’s not sure why but she feels like it’s important for her not to call attention to the fact that she’s out here.

Somewhere in the back of her head a voice screams at her to turn back around and go inside.

She peaks her head around the dumpster she’s next to and spots four men about a hundred yards in front of her. One is pressed up against the corner of the building, his back to her while the other three surround him. It’s the bald man with a thick beard though, that causes her to cover her mouth with her hand. He’s got a gun pointed in front of him and he looks ready to use it.

The man next to him is doing the interrogating and behind him another ominous figure stands guard. She’s surprised he hasn’t seen her yet but he’s more concerned with what’s going on in front of him.

“You fucked up, man.” The words are muffled but she hears them clearly enough. The man speaking is obviously in charge, his voice is deep and raspy, his eyes dark and intense. He has a black sweatshirt on and the hood is half covering his head. Beth’s not even sure he’s trying to be intimidating - he just _is_.

“Rio, I swear, man, I didn’t do it on purpose.” The man whose back is to her speaks and his voice is shaky. Beth doesn’t need to see him to know that he’s terrified. To know that he’s begging for his life.

“Then why’d I get a call from Mike this mornin’ sayin’ that he’s done printin’ for me?”

The man shakes his head and Beth’s eyes swing back to the one she now knows as Rio. ”He’s got it wrong,”

“He says you ripped him off more than once. Don’t know why he’d make that shit up.” Rio turns to look at the guy with the gun and tilts his head. “Mick, you think Mike would make that up?”

Mick shrugs and lifts the gun higher before answering calmly. “Never known him to be a liar.”

Rio nods and sticks his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. He’s so relaxed like this is just a regular Saturday night for him, like he’s not about to make a grown man wet his pants.

“The thing is,” Rio starts, stepping closer so that he’s only inches from the man’s face. “you rip him off, you rip me off, ya know?”

Beth knows it’s time for her to turn and leave – knows no good can come of her standing here but she can’t look away. She’s equal parts terrified and fascinated. Rio commands attention and she can’t take her eyes off of him.

“And now I got no one to print my product so we got that issue too.”

The sound of a phone ringing shakes her from her thoughts and it takes her only a second, but a second too long, to realize the sound is coming from _her_.

Four heads swing around in her direction as she fumbles to wrangle her phone out of her back pocket. She silences it after seeing that it’s an unknown number but it’s too late.

A robocall may be what kills her.

She lifts her head up slowly and her eyes automatically fall to Rio. He’s clearly the one to be afraid of and, Beth thinks, for good reason.

He’s lean and tall, not huge by any means but it’s clear he doesn’t need size to draw fear.

She swallows and opens her mouth to speak, to put on the charm, to talk herself out of this but before she can the man against the wall takes his opportunity to make a run for it. He shoots off the wall and out of Beth’s view. The largest man of the group, the one who had been standing guard, takes off in his direction. Mick raises his gun up but thinks better of shooting and lowers it just as quickly.

Beth’s eyes follow the scene darting between each man. She knows she should use the distraction to get the hell out of dodge but her legs won’t move.

She swallows and takes a deep breath before her body catches up with her head. She makes a move to turn around and leave, hoping she can sneak away without anyone noticing and -

“Hold up, sweetheart.” Comes a voice behind her and she knows it’s his. His words are hoarse and laced with arsenic. He’s smiling, she can tell, but she knows the smile doesn’t reach his eyes.

She stops and turns back around slowly. She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear and hopes her voice doesn’t sound as shaky as she feels.

“I was just getting some air.” Beth offers since it’s the truth.

“Looks like you was eavesdroppin’ to me.” Rio observes and the only thing that gives away how he feels is the tick of his jaw.

Beth thinks she might be at an advantage here. She’s gathered enough from their short conversation to know his name, to know he’s not happy, to know he’s not to be messed with.

She shakes her head quickly. “I wasn’t.”

“Oh, just spyin’ then?” He guesses, taking a step closer to her.

She steps backwards and clears her throat. “I didn’t see or hear anything.”

“No?” He asks, with a tilt of his head. Beth’s eyes jump to his friend, to where the gun stays at his side, clutched in his hand.

Rio turns to see what she’s looking at and then nods at Mick. It’s clearly some kind of signal they’ve developed because Mick is moving towards her before she can even process it and the gun is resting against her temple.

Rio looks bored, she hears the faint buzz of a phone and watches as he pulls it out of his sweatshirt pocket. He looks down and starts typing, easily dismissing her. The gun clicks against her temple and she feels Mick’s finger tighten on the trigger.

“Wait!” She yells, holding her hands up to make her point.

Rio looks up but he’s still disinterested. He sees her but to him, she’s just another thorne in his side. Another mess to clean up.

“You can’t just _kill_ me.” Beth pleads and she hopes she comes across more confident than she is.

“No?” Rio asks and she thinks he sounds amused.

The cool tip of the gun presses into her head but she ignores it. “You think people won’t notice? I’m not some shady guy in a back alley. People will care if I don’t come home tonight.”

_Will they, though?_ She wonders. Dean won’t notice. Her kids aren’t around to miss her. Annie and Ruby will eventually but it could take a day or two.

Her argument isn’t strong enough though because Rio is giving Mick another nod and turning his back towards her.

“I have a printer!” She shouts, one last ditch effort to save her own life.

Rio stops dead in his tracks and she notices he’s wearing Converse. “Excuse me?”

She talks quickly because she’s got his attention but not for long.

“You told that guy he screwed you over because he lost your access to a printer.”

A smirk spreads across his features and he looks better than he has any right to. It’s a fleeting thought but it surprises Beth nonetheless.

“Thought you wasn’t eavesdroppin?” He asks as Beth swallows down the bile in her throat.

For the first time Rio really seems to look _at_ her. He's intrigued now, she can tell. His eyes drop down the length of her and then up again. It makes her feel exposed but not terrified the way it probably should.

She shrugs and the movement makes the gun slip down her temple. She shivers when she realizes she’d forgotten it was there.

“You talk loud.”

He laughs but it’s maniacal.

“I have a printer.” Beth reiterates more forcefully this time. “You can use it for whatever you need.”

He shakes his head and looks at Mick and they share a silent conversation. She’s sure they’re wondering how they got here and if she’s for real.

“I don’t need an inkjet you can buy at Staples, sweetheart.”

She shakes her head. “I work at a paper store. We print invitations and cards - things like that. It’s a massive, old school printer. It prints in oil. A graphic designer can draw up plates for any image. I’m telling you it will print whatever you need.”

She’s pleading, she sounds desperate but she looks at him and sees him considering her and she thinks it might be working.

He’s looking at her like he’s trying to figure her out, like he doesn’t know where she came from, like he doesn’t understand why he can’t get a read on her. But he shrugs and nods at Mick and the gun drops from her head and she exhales the large breath she’d been holding.

“You own the place?” He asks as she wipes her sweaty palms down her jeans.

“No.” She answers but continues quickly when she sees his eyebrow raise. “But I basically run the place. We’re closed Sundays but I work Monday morning – “

“Take me there.” He demands, cutting her off. He starts to walk away and then turns when she doesn’t follow.

“Now.” 

___

They’re halfway to the parking lot when Beth remembers her own car is parked out front. Rio stares at her for a beat then reaches out his hand.

“Gimme your phone.” He says, and for whatever reason she listens without question. She presses the device into his palm and watches as he slides it into his pocket. Her mouth drops open to protest because she wasn’t expecting that but he’s turning before she can argue.

“You’ll get it back when we’re done.” He throws over his shoulder as they approach his car – a souped up G-Wagon that she knows costs more than three of her minivans combined. He pulls the keys from his pocket and Beth watches as Mick gets into the passenger seat.

“Get in.” Rio says nodding his chin towards the back seat. “I’ll drop you at your car and follow you.”

And again she listens obediently.

After that, it's not long before they’re pulling into Paper Porcupine - Rio following closely behind Beth. She'd spent the entire drive over trying to figure a way out of this but it'd been a short ride and her mind was a sudden pile of mush. 

It’s after nine now and Beth’s never been here this late. The lot is empty and the building is quiet. She goes around back instead of using the main entrance – it’s less likely they’ll be spotted and that will bring them directly to the printer.

She doesn’t speak and neither do the two men on her heels. She's desperate to fill the eerie silence though. She has no idea how she got here but she blames Dean.

She unlocks the door to her job flanked on either side by Rio and Mick. They haven’t asked her name yet, haven’t offered her their own even though she knows what to call them. Rio still has her phone but it’s password protected and she hopes he’s not capable of hacking into it. She wouldn’t doubt it though, based on the little she does know about him.

The door opens and she reaches inside to flick the light switch on. It's dim but still harsh on her eyes and she squints to adjust. She wishes she could think of something to delay this, think of a way to rewind, but the guys aren't going anywhere so she waves her arms out in front of her to show them what they came to see.

She’s worked here for several years on a part time basis but her boss, Dorothy, is an older woman who has handed over many of the managerial duties to Beth. It took a while for Beth to learn how to use the printer but she’s the go-to person for it now. She does most of the printing for the orders that come in and she's messed around with it on her own projects in her down time, just for fun. 

“Here it is.” Beth says, chewing on her lower lip as Rio moves closer to the machine, circling it like it's his prey. His chin rests in one hand while his elbow sits perched in the other. He's deep in thought, stroking the five o'clock shadow that adorns his face, brows furrowed, and Beth wishes she could get inside his head, figure out what he's thinking. 

Mick hangs back, but Beth can feel his presence behind her and it's unnerving. Her eyes don't leave Rio though, as on edge as she feels she's also drawn to him. She thinks she's not the first person to feel this way but watching him so deep in concentration feels like a privilege, like something she shouldn't miss.

After minutes that feel like hours Rio looks up, his gaze flickers first to Mick but then lands on Beth and stays there, examining her. She flushes, she can feel the blush heat up her cheeks and rush down her chest but she forces herself to stand tall and not waver under his stare.

She wonders fleetingly what it would feel like to have his eyes on her for a different reason.

"What's your name?" He finally asks, and it's probably a second too long before she answers because her eyes are stuck on his mouth - on the swell of his lips and the way his tongue peaks out just enough to tease. It'd be embarrassing if this situation felt more real, less dreamlike. 

"Beth."

"Not the night you expected, huh, _Beth_?" He asks, his tone mocking but no less appealing.

"Not exactly." She answers. No it's not what she'd expected but it's really no worse than the alternative. Not yet, at least.

He points towards the printer. "I assume these ain't easy to get."

She shakes her head moving into straight sales manager mode. "It's been in this family's business for years. I doubt they even make them like this anymore. It's old but it works perfectly."

"Easy to use?" He shoots back, running his hands along the machine. She bites her lip and forces herself not to ask him to stop touching the machine and answers his question.

"Once you get the hang of it. You need an artist to create whatever image you want to print and then it just takes practice."

He doesn't answer right away and Beth feels compelled to fill the silence.

"I can show you some samples from it. Invitations, cards, whatever you need."

His eyes are bright with amusement and he opens his mouth like he's going to respond, like maybe he's going to finally tell her why he needs a printer but then he glances back at Mick, again, and they exchange some silent, mysterious conversation through just a look. 

Before Beth can catch up he's on his way towards the door.

She spins around her mouth hanging wide as she watches Mick leave without a glance backwards. Rio stops just before he reaches the stairs and turns to face her. 

"Thanks." Is all he says as he shoves his hands deep inside the pocket of his hoodie. 

Beth wrinkles her nose in confusion. "Thanks? That's it?"

Rio shrugs and the corner of his mouth turns up in a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes.

"That's it. You want somethin' else?"

His question is dripping with innuendo and even though Beth thinks she _does_ actually want what he's insinuating she'd never admit it - not to herself and certainly not to him. He's not a good guy - she doesn't know much but she does know that.

"Do you want to use it?" She asks with a huff, annoyed as she nods at the massive printer in front of her.

He smirks and in a way that's _mostly_ completely inappropriate, he looks her up and down from head to toe lighting a fire low in her belly. She thinks she knows what he's going to say. Or at least, what he's thinking. That sure, he wants to use it - but by it he means her and by use he means something completely dirty and foreign to her but still oddly...enticing. It has to be because of what she's just discovered about her husband. He'd had a mid-life crisis and now, it seemed, so was she.

"We'll see." Is all he gives her though and no one's quite sure if the breath she lets out is one of relief or disappointment.

"I'm so confused." Beth says under her breath but he hears her.

"Just be glad you ain't dead, yeah?" He reaches into his pocket and pulls his hand out and then lifts his arm, tossing something into the air in Beth's direction. Instinctively she reaches out and grabs the flying object, fumbling before just barely catching what she now realizes is her phone. 

She looks up, mouth agape but he's gone and, really, she's not fully convinced he'd ever been there to begin with.

\---


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in my defense this was supposed to be strictly PWP but it turned into whatever this is. Not a ton of porn and not a ton of plot. Hope you still enjoy!

Despite the initial fear she'd felt meeting Rio he'd ultimately left her feeling confused and off center but not terrified. He'd been like a figment of her imagination - like some weird, fantasy playing out in front of her but not ending in the way a fantasy generally does. Had it all just been meant to be some insane distraction from her actual, real life problems?

It doesn't help that her kids are gone and the house is quieter than it's ever been. It also doesn't help that Dean's not around, chattering in her ear about something or other. She'd been putting him off, not ready to have the conversation she knew was inevitable. She definitely hadn't let him come home though - he'd been relegated to his mother's for at least another night. Beth would deal with him, with _them_ , when the weekend was over.

Beth finds the quiet and the free time nice but lacking. It gives her too much time to think, to imagine, to _wonder_. She should call Annie and Ruby and let them shower her with wine and trashy television but even that feels like something she can't handle. So she fills the time with baking and reading and laundry and even though she should be focusing on the demise of her marriage and her womanizing husband, it's the perplexing night she'd had on Friday, the mysterious man she'd met, that fills her thoughts. 

_Rio._

She knows she should be grateful he let her go, grateful he's gone and out of her life as quickly as he'd entered it but she can't help but feel some vague sense of longing. Beth thinks she'd wanted him to take her up on her offer to help, she thinks she wanted him to be more interested in her. 

She's certainly finding herself interested in him.

Beth should be scared - she knows it, but it's not until late Saturday night, when she wakes up with a jolt, a throbbing between her legs, all alone in her big bed, darkness surrounding her, that she realizes her intrigue is brought on by pure desire.

She's attracted to him. The entire package - not only his looks but the danger, the thrill.

It's Sunday morning, in the light of day, when she comes to her senses. When she forces herself to get over her fascination. She’ll never see him again, and it’s a good thing - the _right_ thing. Beth texts Dean to ask him to come over the next night. It's time to take care of what actually matters and not the make-believe playing out in her head.

Beth feels good about her decision, about what's to come. She's thinking about what she'll make herself for dinner, or maybe even treating herself to take-out, as she wanders into the kitchen later that evening. It's closing in on night time, dusk settling outside, the last peak of sun popping out from behind the trees.

She's lost in her thoughts and unprepared for what she sees in front of her so it takes a minute to process that there's a person where there shouldn't be - leaning against a stool at her kitchen island. He's all swagger, all confidence, like he's exactly where he should be even though he's just committed a very obvious offense.

Beth's scream is more of a yelp. She's unprepared but also thrilled and she can't decide if her heart is beating so incessantly because she's frightened or because she's excited to see him in front of her.

He pushes up off of the stool and stands, amusement etched clearly across his face. 

"Yo." He says not the least bit sheepish. Like this is all a perfectly normal occurrence.

"Hello." Beth answers, returning his greeting warily.

She moves to make her way into the kitchen and stops when the island is separating them, a buffer she needs more than wants. 

Rio turns, with a smirk, and watches her. They're locked in a stare down for a moment longer than is comfortable.

Beth finds it hard to sort her thoughts, can't quite form words into sentences in order to berate him for showing up announced or for breaking into her house. She wants to know how he found her, who he thinks he is, how he thinks he can get away with any of this - they're all perfectly valid questions and thoughts but they do her no good if she can't find a way to voice them.

"Wanted to apologize in advance for the headache I'm probably 'bout to cause you." Rio starts, breaking her away from the chaos in her head. He's grinning, clearly enjoying how off kilter she is at his appearance.

"What do you mean?" Beth asks, confused. Her voice is unsteady so she shakes her head in an attempt to clear away the shock she's reeling from. 

"Figure it's only fair though." He says, ignoring her question. "I still can't track down the guy you caused to run off the other night."

"You mean the guy you were about to _kill_?" Beth wonders out loud, tilting her head. She wants to take it back the minute the words come out of her mouth because even though she feels some weird pull when he's around she can't forget what brought them together in the first place.

Can't forget that he's anything but kind.

But Rio just laughs without correcting her. 

"Doesn't seem like you had trouble tracking _me_ down." Beth points out, eyebrows raised, when she realizes he isn't going to say anything.

Her heart is still beating at a rapid pace but she's at least sure that it'll stay firmly in her chest. She's feeling braver as the seconds tick by - he does something to her, makes her feel powerful even though she's nowhere near in control. 

Rio hums leaning forward to rest his elbows on the counter between them. "It wasn't that hard, Elizabeth Irene Boland."

She flushes at the sound of her full name coming out of his mouth. Instead of asking how or _why_ she just stares, eyes wide, cheeks red, chest heaving with short breath after short breath. 

The fog clears after a moment and her nose wrinkles in confusion. “What did you mean by the headache you’re about to cause me?” 

But he ignores her, _again_ , and rounds the island so that he's standing toe to toe with her. He's closer than he needs to be, then he _should_ be but Beth isn't complaining. She's never felt this way - so nervous and confused and exhilarated all at once. Never knew she'd _enjoy_ feeling this way.

"I should thank you." He starts, his teeth popping out to scrap against his lower lip before he continues. "You gave me a lot to think about showin' me that printer. I'm thinkin' about takin' my business in a new direction."

"What _is_ your business?" She asks quietly, intrigued.

He drops his head down and laughs and when he picks it back up to look at her his eyes are bright. "You probably already know too much."

Beth squints her eyes in confusion and tilts her head. "I literally know nothing."

"Maybe we could work somethin' out." He answers, with a shrug. "You lookin' for a job?"

"I have a job." She states evenly, but he already knows that. His chuckle in response makes her think he knows something else she doesn't.

"Yeah but thought maybe you was bored." He guesses with a shrug. "Maybe you're lookin' for a change."

Beth contemplates it for a second and - maybe she is. But she's good at her job and comfortable and there are going to be enough changes coming into her life soon - she probably shouldn't invite another. Although it is tempting - the prospect of getting to know him more, getting to see him regularly.

"I don't generally accept job offers when I don't know what the job is."

Rio hums in response but it's all Beth gets from him. He stares at her for a beat and then his eyes are everywhere else but on her. They're moving around the kitchen, landing on her kid's drawings stuck to the fridge, the saran covered plate of cookies on the counter, the apron hanging from a hook by the door. Little things that paint too pretty of a picture, that give away a little more than she'd like about herself.

He moves away from her slowly, towards the living room, stopping at the assortment of picture frames hanging on the wall.

"Four kids?" He asks, jutting his chin towards a photo she had taken in the backyard just this past Easter. It had been a rare feat, snapping a picture that captured four smiles and clean faces.

"Yes. " She answers and it comes out defensively but she's not sure why.

His eyes settle on her, peeking through long lashes, and Beth forces herself not to be the first to look away. He tilts his head as if he's trying to figure her out and either he does or he decides she's not worth the time because he's looking back at the wall before she can get a read on him.

"Where are they?" He asks, not looking at her.

"Summer camp." 

He lifts his finger and points at a picture of her and Dean from their wedding. "What's your husband do?"

"He sells cars." She deadpans, voice dry and dripping in disdain. She assumes he picks up on it if the smirk on his face is any indication.

"That where he is now?"

"Maybe." She scoffs.

He raises an eyebrow, turning to face her and even though she doesn't have to, probably _shouldn't_ , she continues. 

"Either that or he's somewhere screwing his twenty five year old girlfriend."

Rio's face lights up at that and he lets out a loud laugh, clearly surprised. Beth can't quite pinpoint what he finds funny - the fact that she's being cheated on and doesn't particularly seem to care or something else entirely but a swarm of butterflies erupt in her stomach at being able to make him laugh.

She watches him walk, no _swagger_ , closer to her, and she automatically takes several steps backwards, into the kitchen again. Beth wonders if he's anything less than one hundred percent confident at all times. Wonders if he doubts himself. Wonders if he ever doesn't do or say exactly what he wants. Wonders what it might be like to be that sure of yourself.

"On one hand I think he's a dumbass for leavin' you alone in this big house when your kids are away." He starts, and now they're standing only inches apart and she's definitely close to losing it.

"On the other hand, " He continues, reaching out to brush a stray piece of hair off of her face. He tucks it away and lets his fingers trail down the shell of her ear, just barely touching skin. "I'm real glad he did."

She shivers and hates that she can't hide it but is too caught up in _this_ , in _him_ ,to care.

Somewhere in the back of her mind Beth is asking herself, not for the first time, if this is real. If _he_ is real. She isn’t any closer to figuring out what he wants, definitely can’t understand what he’s doing in her kitchen. She's yet to work out what game he’s playing. The problem is that she doesn’t think she wants to know any of it. Doesn’t think she cares.

"Why's that?" She asks in a whisper and if he can tell how close she is to crumbling underneath his touch, he doesn't let on.

He steps closer even though there's nowhere to go and Beth's sure he's going to kiss her and even more sure that she's going to let him. His lips are inches from her own, their breaths mingling together. Her tongue pokes out to swipe across her dry lips and just barely misses brushing against his own.

Beth sees his eyelashes flutter against his cheek as he blinks, but just as she thinks he's going to lean forward and seal the deal he's pulling back. It's not much, just enough to put some space between them, but she has to clench her fists at her side to stop herself from flinging her entire body on top of his.

"I ain't gonna lie." Rio speaks, breaking the tension in the room with his husky voice. 

She holds her breath as his arms reach forward and his fingers brush against her shirt. They start at her hips and trail upwards. Beth's grateful that she's covered because the goosebumps that break out across her skin are enough to light her face on fire. He stops just on either side of her breasts and she sucks in a breath.

"These are the first things I noticed about you." He finishes, eyes on hers even though they're clearly talking about something else.

"You think you're the first person to tell me that?" Beth clips back but she's too far gone to move out of his grasp.

He chuckles and drops his hands, resting them firmly on her waist. His touch is light but heavy all at once.

"That's the second thing I noticed." He continues, squeezing just hard enough to make an impression. His fingers slip under the hem of her shirt and brush soft skin. She bites her tongue to keep from making a noise she doesn't want to make.

"What?" Beth whispers, trying to keep up with the conversation. 

"The way you ain't scared to talk back." He pulls her forward so that their hips are touching and the balls of her cheeks burst into flames when he mutters a swear under his breath.

"Should I be?" Beth wonders out loud with no idea how she's stringing sentences together. 

"Probably be smart, ya." He mumbles, rocking his jaw.

"Who says I'm smart?"

Rio's eyes flash dark and his gaze pierces hers, sending her spiraling. Beth can't remember ever being in a situation like this one. Where she knows what she's doing is so wrong, will fill her with so many regrets, but where she just can't find it in herself to care. She's always done the right thing, the _smart_ thing. 

She thinks maybe this time she won't.

"It's written all over you, ma." His eyes flicker across the kitchen and then back to her. "All over your fancy house in the suburbs."

She swallows and lifts the hands that hang at her side but then drops them just as quickly. She doesn't know what to do with them - knows what she _wants_ to do with them but -

"Why are we talking so much?" She finally asks, impatient for him to do what they both want just not willing to make the first move.

"What else you want to do?" He jokes and Beth rolls her eyes. 

She opens her mouth to respond but closes it when she feels his hand move up and under her shirt. His fingertips slide up her side and she shivers but doesn’t make a move to stop him. 

Instead of continuing, Rio's arm wraps around her back and then down, slipping inside of her jeans far enough so that he can grab the flesh of her ass. She’s vaguely aware of the fact that she’s wearing old, cotton underwear but the thought is fleeting when he presses his fingers in and squeezes.

They're moving fast. Beth has no idea if this is what he came for or if it’s just an added bonus but she knows she doesn’t want to stop.

“What am I doing?” She whispers, lowering her head so that she’s looking down at her feet. She’s more thinking out loud then anything but she sighs when she feels his nose brush against the top of her head before he responds.

"Nothing yet."

Her eyes jump up to his and there's a challenge there - like he's waiting for her to give him the okay.

He's _very_ good at this game that they're playing.

And then all at once, she gives in. The dam breaks. A spark ignites, a volcano erupts - call it what you will but all bets are off once he gives her that push. 

They're frenzied. Hands are everywhere - hers trailing down his back and scratching across the scalp of his head. His moving from her ass to the button and zipper at the front of her pants. He gets them undone but instead of pushing the fabric down and off he just shoves his hand inside, and starts rubbing at her over her damp - practically soaked - panties.

Beth bites down on her lip, hard. She's so close to letting out a desperate, pathetic plea for him to never stop. She wants to play it cool but her senses are on overdrive - his hands on her, his breath against her neck, it's all enough to drive her crazy. She’d forgotten it could feel this good. She’s actually not sure she ever _knew_ it could feel this good. 

And to think they've barely started.

Rio runs his fingers up and down her center and uses his thumb to circle her clit through thin cotton. Beth whimpers and he laughs and she knows that he's going to make her come before he's even got her undressed.

She thinks he's probably betting on it. 

He's going at her hard now, pushing the heel of his hand into the exact right spot - the harder he pushes, the louder she is and the rougher he gets. 

Beth guesses she's louder than even she realizes, there's a buzzing in her ears, a blurriness behind her eyes. She's not even inside of her own body anymore.

Rio pushes her backwards so that she's pressed into the island and the edge of the granite digs directly into her spine but it just adds to her pleasure. Both of her hands grip his shoulders and she has her eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"Look at me." Comes his husky voice from right in front of her even though he sounds miles away.

Her eyes flutter open at his demand and she nearly gasps when she sees how black his own are.

There's a hint of possession streaked across his face and all it does is drive Beth closer to the edge. It's only now, staring into his eyes, that she realizes the hand that isn't shoved down her jeans getting her off is palming at her breast over her shirt. They're both fully clothed and she's never, ever felt better in her entire life. She can feel how hard he is against her leg and it's exhilarating. 

"You look fuckin' wrecked." He mutters into her ear, and the way he says it, the sound of his hoarse voice, completely dirty and rough sends her straight to orgasm. She's shattered - in the best possible way - and she rides it out with her forehead against his shoulder, shaking in his arms as he continues to rub her.

After a minute the high wears off and the moment hits her like a brick. She tenses and he feels it because he pulls back and reaches his hand - the one _not_ covered in her - up to grip her chin between his fingers. 

"For one second forget about anything but what you were feelin' thirty seconds ago."

Beth inhales and forces herself to do as he says.

"Now tell me what you want."

She swallows and tries to pull away from the hold he has on her but Rio's fingers only tighten on her jaw.

"Tell me." He demands.

And the thing is she wants to tell him. Wants to spill her guts and just take for once in her life instead of always being the one to give, give, give.

He doesn't know her. Doesn't know who she is or who she's been or what her life is like. But it turns out someone can spend twenty years right by your side and still never actually get you, never understand who you are, what makes you tick. But here Rio is - this mysterious, handsome, _criminal_ stranger who knows next to nothing about her who just sees _her_. The Beth that's been buried so far down the rabbit hole that she's forgotten who she even is.

It's after a minute of silence, after Beth has just figured out what she wants to say that she sees his eyes soften. His tongue darts out to lick his lips and she sees the moment he decides to go easy on her. Maybe it's because he knows it’s what she needs or maybe it's just because he’s looking for his own release. Either way Beth says a silent thank you when he talks again.

“You want me to go?”

She shakes her head.

“You want me to fuck you?”

She nods, emphatically.

He drops his hand and wraps it around her neck. He still hasn’t kissed her, she realizes.

"I want you to kiss me." She says breathlessly but her voice is loud and clear.

Rio smirks.

"Alright, darlin'."

And then he does.

\---

Beth wakes up on Monday morning sore and exhausted but thoroughly satisfied. She moves through her morning routine on autopilot - mind everywhere but on what she's doing. She makes her coffee and breakfast, showers and dresses like she does every day but today it's different. Today she's simply going through the motions as she remembers hot touches and mind-numbing orgasms. Today she's remembering real life instead of creating a fantasy.

Rio had left hours after he'd arrived but not before making sure she'd been thoroughly taken care of. She'd never - not in all of her life - had a night like the one she'd just experienced. Beth shivers at the thought, at the memories, at the way she can still taste him. 

He's gone but still everywhere. Tangled up in her sheets, pushing her flush against the wall, bending her over the sink in her bathroom, sucking a hickey into her breast in the shower.

Beth gets in her car and drives to work and pulls into the parking lot without even knowing how she got there. She groans and shakes her head, once, then twice, rubs a hand down her face and forces herself to get it together. She's not a teenager, not some lovesick puppy in some newfound relationship. She's a grown woman who has a job to do, a life to get on with. 

It's easy to tell herself these things, harder to accept them.

When she's _almost_ convinced that she can successfully push her weekend rendezvous to the back of her mind she grabs her purse off of the passenger seat and exits the car. It's quiet in the parking lot - Monday's generally a slower day for business - and she's thankful that perhaps she can make it through the day with only half a functioning brain. 

She pulls open the front door to The Paper Porcupine trying to forget the last time that she was here. Who she'd been here with. She pastes on a smile and prepares herself to greet her co-workers but before the words can come out of her mouth she's fumbling, tripping over nothing, eyes wide at what's in front of her.

Rio.

And her boss.

Smiles are attached to both of their faces - one is genuine, the other devilish.

"Beth!" Her boss Dorothy exclaims, clapping her hands together and motioning her forward. "Come, come - I've been waiting for you to get here."

Beth forces herself to take steps forward, one foot in front of the other. She grips the strap of her purse willing her hands to stop shaking. Her heart is pounding and she's certain that everyone in the room can hear the incessant heartbeat, can see the shock on her face, the golf ball sized lump in her throat. 

Her eyes move back and forth between Dorothy and Rio, trying to piece together the massive puzzle in front of her. But she can't. Not this quickly, anyway. She's got no guesses, no inklings. Based on Dorothy's greeting and the look on her face she's not angry with Beth - not about to fire her or reprimand her.

But if not that, then _what_?

Rio's hands are shoved into the pockets of his pants and his gaze is glued to hers - he's enjoying the show, unwilling to miss a second of it.

And then she remembers his words. The same ones he'd said so innocently then ignored just as quickly.

_"Wanted to apologize in advance for the headache I'm probably 'bout to cause you."_

Maybe he had just been trying to distract her.

Maybe it was all just some sick and twisted game.

It takes her seconds to approach them but it's not long enough - it's not enough time to gather herself together because the smile on Dorothy's face drops just a smidgen when she gets a closer look at Beth.

"Are you okay, dear?" Dorothy questions, concerned. "You look pale."  
  
Beth forces a smile and a chuckle and then finds it in herself to loosen the tension in her shoulders. "Just tired. Long weekend."

She chances a look over at Rio but wishes she hadn't when she sees the smirk on his face, the way he brushes his hand across his mouth to try to hide it.

Satisfied at her response, Dorothy's face lights up again and she turns towards Rio. "I had a long weekend too."

Beth's eyebrows raise and she attempts to play it cool when she asks why.

"Saturday morning I got a phone call from a lawyer." Dorothy starts and Beth swallows thickly.

"Is everything okay?'

"Oh, yes!" Dorothy exclaims, delighted. She claps her hands together again and Beth wants nothing more than to smack them apart. "Better than okay! I got an offer on the store. One I couldn't possibly refuse."

Beth's forehead creases, her eyebrows furrow, her mouth goes dry. It's like she has all the pieces laid out in front of her but they're blurred. She can't figure out where they go, how they fit - how any of this makes sense.

"An offer?"

"To sell the store!" Dorothy answers, eyes bright.

Beth swallows and tries to keep up. "I hadn't realized you'd been looking to sell."

Dorothy laughs and reaches out a hand to brush Beth's shoulder. "I wasn't, exactly. But I'm not getting any younger and it was an offer that I'd be stupid to ignore."

"Is that right?" Beth says slowly taking a deep breath in while still successfully avoiding his gaze.

"They'll keep the store just the way it is and you on as manager." Dorothy bursts out, as if she's telling Beth the most incredible news either of them has ever heard. Beth grimaces but hopes it somehow resembles a grin. If the older woman notices she doesn't let on.

Because Dorothy might think Rio is God's greatest gift but Beth knows better.

The three are silent for a moment until, with glee, Dorothy goes off on another tangent, explaining details that Beth couldn't comprehend if she wanted to. When she has no other choice, she turns her head and finally meets Rio's eyes - the same person who'd just devoured her hours earlier. 

He's not hiding the fact that he's enjoying this. 

Rio makes it a point to trail his gaze down her body and back up again as if he's remembering all of the things she'd been replaying in her mind since she'd woken up. She blushes but ignores the humor, the delight, evident on his face. Ignores the fire that ignites in her core despite her current disdain for him.

This might all be a game to him but you can't fake what had occurred between them the night before.

He certainly wasn't faking the way he'd come in her mouth - the way he'd practically begged her to let him come on her chest.

It's then that Beth starts to realize just how deep she's gotten herself. Her marriage, the cheating - all of that she can handle. All of that compared to this, to him, is child's play.

Dorothy trails off and then shoots a dagger straight into Beth's chest.

"Meet Rio! Your new boss." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo that's it! *laughs nervously* I think....clearly a part 2 is warranted but I have no idea when I might continue so for now this is the end. Thank you for the comments and support and for just being wonderful people and a great, big, fun fandom all at once.


End file.
